Searching for Work With a Large Company May Not Always Be a Good Thing

By Ginny Estupinian

Whenever you are doing a job search it is often tempting to only apply for those jobs that are being offered by large companies believing that they are the best ones. In fact when you are talking with your friends often a lot of people will ask what company you are applying to. Isn’t it true, that if you tell them a name that they don’t recognize it makes you feel like you made a mistake?

 

The hard facts show that today some of your best prospects for finding a job are with small companies and not with the big well established corporations. In fact you might be safer working for a small company that is able to be flexible in a changing economy. Often big corporations have a hard time adjusting to changes in the market place quickly. As a result they may hire for a position that is no longer viable and you may soon find yourself out of work. The reason is that large companies sometimes take a while to respond to market forces but when they do a lot of people pay the price all of the sudden.

 

Recently, I came across this situation with a friend who was looking for work. She saw a job posting on Monster.com  for a position she was interested in with Hewlett Packard. The position was offering a nice salary doing a job that she was a perfect match for. She submitted her resume and was soon afterward contacted for an interview. The interview went well and at the end of the interview she was told that she would have to attend one more interview before a formal offer would be presented. So she left happy and hopeful for the future. A week went by and nothing happen. No phone call, no letter…nothing. Wondering what had happened she called only to find out that the whole department had been downsized and moved out of the area. She later received an informal email stating that the position was no longer available.

 

This story may read like an unlikely scenario but it is not. There are a lot of changes occurring in the economy now and the rules of the game are changing. This makes it very difficult for anyone trying to find work that is not aware.

 

I can understand that some folks may say well isn’t it safer to work for a large company since they have more resources and can better survive during tough times. Yes, and No. Some large companies that are involved in businesses that thrive whether or not the economy is doing well (like entertainment) are the exception. However, some large companies like many of the automakers today are not a safe option. In recent months the newspapers have been reporting about the downsizing and selling off of assets by companies like Ford motors (they just sold off Jaguar and Land Rover).

 

Another thing to consider is that when you are dealing with a small company often you are dealing with the decision maker of that company. This usually means that they make decisions faster and don’t waste time in having you jump through hoops. There are some reports that show that you can actually make more money with a small company and have better opportunities to advance your career with a small company. This is especially true with workers who are in their 50’s. We often hear of age discrimination occurring with larger organizations that may have concerns about the possibility of an older worker nearing retirement. The opposite is true with a lot of small companies. They are excited about the possibility of having someone with many years of experience working for them.

So consider all possibilities and take a second look at those small companies you might be pleasantly surprised.

A Veterans Guide to Researching That Next Job

By Ginny Estupinian

 

When most people look for work they begin by checking out the job postings either on-line or in a newspaper. Most of the time the most important thing that a job seeker is looking for is what is the amount the job will pay. The second thing is usually what is the job description. There is nothing wrong about this approach, but you might be able to improve the quality of the job you are getting, and avoid unexpected surprises by doing a little more research.

 

One thing to consider is who the employer is?  There is nothing worse than finding a job and then discovering that the employer is going out of business. This is especially important if you are considering moving to a new area for that job. Then there is the surprise of finding a job that is just awful. The only reason that the job is available is that nobody wants to work there.

 

There are a few simple things that you can do in order to give yourself the best possible chance of matching with a good employer.

 

1. Pull up the company’s website

You can learn a lot about a company by what is on their website. Often companies will put news articles about the company on the site. These articles can tell you what is important to the company and a little bit about their culture. You can also learn about the history of the company and their values. This information is good to incorporate into your interview. It shows that you did your research.  On some sites the bio’s of key employees are located and you can learn a lot about who makes up this company and where they came from. All this will give you a good gut feeling about who they are.

 

1. Use search engines

One of the best ways to search is by using www.dogpile.com this site will compile information from all the other search engines. So instead of looking through each search engine this one will take out the duplicates and give you the most relevant information.  Another good source is the Better Business Bureau in the city where the company is located. When you call ask them for a reference and see what type of reputation the company has established with them. The service is free to the public and they will tell you if there have been any complaints and what they were about.

 

1. Search the local newspaper.

Another easy thing to do is go on-line to the local newspaper and search past articles using the company’s name.  While there do a search  by using the name of the President of the company. When you find an article read to see what they are known for. In some cases you might discover that the company has a charity that they regularly sponsor. You might even find that the company was involved in some type of problems. Basically, you are looking for both good news and bad to help you make a good decision and avoid the surprises.

 

1. Talk to Employees.

One of the best sources of information are current employees or even past employees of the company.  Who better to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of the company? But what if you don’t know anyone at the company? Then talk to the receptionist. These folks usually know more about what is going on about everything and are willing to share if you treat them nicely. One way to score points with a receptionist is to talk to them when they hit the slow point in their day.  In most cases this will be between 10:45am and 11:30am in the morning. By that time most of the morning urgent calls have already come in. When you talk to them tell them that you are considering working for the company and would appreciate knowing more about the company. Let them know that you value their comments and will keep it confidential. Many times the information you get from this source will be more valuable and complete than anything else you do.